THE SINEWS OF WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 44, 23 February 1904, Page 1

THE SINEWS OF WAR.

MOW t'riE fc'd&tUTANTS StA^ T O foil MdxtJir / & writer Hn the prospects q( tntj war, iii ( aii al'tJel* t«'ib?isheS before the outbreak', . says :— The efforts, tp! raise. money \vhich . and R,Us.';i^ have, made .of late,, will remind the people 0/ tilis country Uiat w^ is a costly business, tiie n^af^cial position of Japan has been indicated as eoti-nd. It is, perba.p9, to be doubted whether the need of ready mcmoy by the? G*»vyrniTx>nt oi Russia for thd Wir'poseS of wttf i'S V?»' £ v ©rpat. Tn IU mhtSi\Bi Hie maifttcilflflce Of her forces RltssiS Speeds Its.? any other European coun'tr\. ITL'f tVoymn,!., expepd,vturp upon a stand?ing,,aiiny Oi 3 „OOO,QpC| men, is returned at £3O,OOo,tt6'tJ ,r*tprKl>g. D\irving>' the late troubles ,in Mantih'ii'ia kept an army of 180,000 men •Itl t% r i«W, a\ n cost of £6,000,000 for the peno'l ni qpe year. No comparison between her ox]K?nditure on, account of a w a'' frith. Japan -and tho gigantic total incUrred <fty itya country in the wiar with the South' 'AfficftTi Ke.publics is possible. Food suppVies anu t^a^sportatrion otm be supplied from w'ith'iai her own borders, coal being the ,ono commodity for which she is tk'pwrdoftt. ■ This ftt once releases for ordinary oxpe^tfittfre ft large capital, and places her in a position of supreme importance. Indeed, I have been assured that the various sums which can he contributed" to" t!ie Russian war-chest from official sources in t'lte 'CV(?nt if war will equal, if they do not exceed £100,000,000 sterling-. Government 'deposits have lioen placed in a number of banks abroad, the interest annually retuma-ble on these stilus aggregating £10,000,000 sterling, -liy f&i\.. tip largest part of the. sum totti.l. however,- lias accruod from economics vim administra■ta^•o idopartmrnts and fro.in t'hc proceeds of various loans, which, raised ostensibly for the development of railway communications, have been oar-marked o.T as a necessary provision for the warchest. Tli a t this 1 53 the case in connection wit. ; i the Trans-Sib.erian railway tlwre is no doubt, the expenditure upon that under tafciflg beiing retanicu half-a-million sterling shcrt of £106,6Q0,6ijC sterling As a matter of fact, the actual expenditure upon the Chinese Eastern Railway was less than ono-twolfth oi this sum. It would appear, therefore, that the financial position of Russia, in respect of this tvai\_ were assured, at least Tor the opening operation* of the canipnip-n. Beyond that, aftd iflto trir probable lenptn of. the war, it is at this moment impolitic to efftcr.

A solicitor defending a client iii * case in which £18 l;">s was involved, at the Magistrate's Court at Wellington, found it necessary to explain why certain papers asked for by plaintiff were not forthcoming. 'He said his client engaged another solicitor to act for him in the case, but subsequently considered it expedient to change his lawyer. L Y ntil this time the case had been called several times in the Court and adjourned. A few days ago defendant went to the first solieitor engaged and asked for his papers. Much to his amazement he was told they would not be forthcoming unless he paid £8 ss.

The proprietors of the Academy of Music, Gisborne-, are sending three experts to inspect the principal theatres of the colony in connection with a scheme for tho enlargement of their own building.

Some strong remarks were made at Manuia tho other day by Mr Evrb Kenny, S.IM., regarding tin drinking habits of many Maoris m Taranakl. Hn said he thought ho was justified In Raying that the orgies amongst tho natives wyi-e worse in the Taranaki district than in anv pnrt of the colony. CertamIv ho' htid not coma across n worse t.«jhrtvcd class of Maoris than those li'vino- in Tttranaki- Their unseemlv and demoralising bchnviour was no doubt due to the Parihaka influence. Though hotelkeepers could Still flri.nk (consumed on the premised) to ft native, they would bo rSing it vei-v great risk in se ling j iH Tiifc of "id alldwing intoxicatiiiK lifiuof tfei bfe iaken in any quantity to the Maoris.-

Rt'ft S^Mbmrt "nax," writes a coi' restooncfent tit rt Wellington paper, ttTmSmer, HM&i ■«!"<*?£ ri^rai acceptance as; . scarify ..£>!>' name. The plant )* .**«;£"■ ,} >J s v .: There is a native flax aI.U W.M .?- all parts of the North Jsluml. onfl excs't that its flower is usually white, scarccl? to H0 .l.»vmi?uished from the European fl&* *« oppcarance. The- name "flax" sow.' yen* t ago became offend Vo to the autho"ffUps, and in their n-.S'lom they al--terfe-d the M.tn* to -"homp, ft. j«J" Mttsibly Wbrft hbmi'H and mislead-: lite thkn ttm etKpt: '-tk'triy »t js now in ou? cxfMrt rfciajn*; ft«J tho , miSdescriptioil has cafr*^ t.r£T™lo in the United States, v-hnrj hcrjp i3 to titi import duty o. A-o a ton.' It is true that the duty was removed after pftHMtti bat the importer had first to go id tl?f trouble of proving that his "hemp wa* not hemp. Now Zealand "flax : is a valua'&T6: fibre, "sui generis, it has no resemblance f? oither flaxor hemp and should not be sb styled in the world's markets. It is not too late for our Government to retrieve its error. The fibre should be' frffcrwn both popularly and commercially as "phorjp\»m." its wellestablished botanical n*W (er the last hundred years. There vfMld then be no room for such unnecessarv and annoying mist alms us that which recently occurred in the United Suites-

. Sir Maurice O'Rorke :-as f»iven notice to move at to-day's meeting of tht; University Senate : '•' That the Senate respectfully requests the G overrun ttt to invite Parliament to grant tWs year £10,000. to be equally divided between tfto *fnliated institutions of Dunediu, Auqkland, Christchurch, and Wellington for tho purpose of crectrtng dormitories a"'u dining halls, or purchasing Itouses or sites for residential acf;ommodati,vs with a view to enabling country tb, send their sous to University Colleges where proper sujwrvision over students may be exercised, and tho feeling of University lifu inst i Wed. That it is not reasonably to expect that thy religious bodies should undertake this portion of University work, a.i is cfone, iifi SydJiey and Melbourne, ,seein<g that in New Zealand such collegiate accommodation would tfe require in four places, 3ttd not in one centre, as has betn found sufficient in New South Wales and Victoria.- That tho want of residential .accommodation must .be much felt by country settlers attd tend to make the p res-en t Colleges chiefly "beneficial to parents dwelling, 'in tfie f'dltr chief centres of the colony."

At a Meeting of fheepowners held at Mastertdh dating t.h'« progress of the A fit ibHttxiriil ShoKv ;t v.n. 1 decided chat they vni[d not in future exhibit at n:iy *!k>-.v uii>ss the controlling authority ad<>|tod a similar rule to t'lat ••ni'crjed by the Manawatu Assoj'.a'Jon I>> the effect, that no stud sheop '.o a :^" t r.ed in pure bred classes for exhibition unless they arc registered in the Flock Book.

February in Wellington has always been a quiet month for business, and the present is no exception to the rule (remarks a Wellington paper.) Tn the country dis tricts, there is no tightness ol money — according to the experienct of local wholesale houses— a desirable state of finance due in very large measure to the good prices being realised for flax and for dairy produce, which increase each monU in total output.

The Wanganui Harbour Board". 1--loan of £60,000 falls due next year The Board has decided to call a public meeting to consider the question of carrying on harbour improvements out of loan or out o) revenue.

Lapwings are now declared to bi game and come under the operation of the Animals Protection Act.

l.'ndrr a recent arrangciit'-nt the expenses of all the. New Zualand Contingents sent to the Boer war, with the exception of those of ,the Fourth Contingent, arc being defrayed by the Imperial authorities. The expenses of the Fourth Contingent were paid out of tin: colony's More Mon Fund. The statement of accounts in connection wu ment of accounts in connection been sent Home, and those of the with six of the Contingents have others tire well forward. The officers of the Defence Department who have been engaged upon the Contingents' accounts have been transferred to a department to be known as the Imperial Pay Branch, which will also deal with all matters relating to pensions, gratuities etc., due to all New Zealanders who served in South Africa, whether as members of the regular or irregular corps. The Imperial Pay Oflice will be in charge, of Mr J. B. Hey wood, Secretary to the Treasurv.